Distant Memories
by Poison Gemini
Summary: Caleb suffers a heart attack and leaves Orange County in a fuss, leaving a distressed Kirsten, a messedup Marissa, a depressed grandson, and an accused Julie behind. Based on the season 2 finale episode and the after events, if they went my way.
1. Heart Death

This is based on the season finale episode of season 2, and the events that occur after it. It is based on my little world if things went the way I wanted them to.

* * *

She lay on her bed for the last hour and thirty minutes. Her mother's life had changed so quickly, and she was not even there to support her. Marissa hadn't even given Caleb Nichol a chance, once he entered her life she was horrible, horrible to both him and her mother. But they deserved it, didn't they? For all, Caleb _did _bribe Marissa into moving in with them, they took her away from her old environment, and they shipped Kaitlin to boring school. What kind of relationship between mother and daughter, step-father and daughter, should be so painful? Marissa Cooper's. Marissa only did things in spite of her mother. She wanted some sort of respect and acknowledgement, and she didn't get it. Julie only used her relationship with Marissa when she was kind and giving only to get something in return. And she got his death.

Only if Marissa had known her mother wanted to plot a death against Caleb, after he wanted to divorce her after the porn tape scandal. But Julie, once again, convinced him not to, and they remained married. Only to have him follow her. And then this. A heart attack in the pool. He practically drowned! Whoever knew Julie _was not_ the cause of this actual event. If everyone heard that rumour, they'd think it was true.

Back to the fact that Marissa was on her bed, with red eyes and a soaked pillow made her realise that her life was bad. Not because of the loss of money, or the possibility that her mother could be called a killer, even though she isn't, or the fact that her parents may be coming back together, it was because of another thing. After Ryan Atwood and Seth Cohen had left for Venice Beach, Marissa was left with Ryan's brother. She spent many hours, up to three in total, with him in his apartment. They went for fresh air. And there it happened. She'd been awkward around him ever since, lying to those who would be so moved to help her. Trey Atwood was the one she was avoiding, and she didn't want Ryan to know what had happened on the beach when he was gone.

Ryan and her may have some history with a romance, but it was never something that had risen up once again this time. It'd gone. Even if there was tension, the two were like to magnets that couldn't be united. At least Seth and Summer Roberts were happy with their second relationship.

Marissa was shaken away from her thoughts when she heard her mother's heeled shoes make her way to the door. She knocked, and waited for a split second before allowing herself in. Marissa would've went wild at Julie for not waiting for her to let her in, but she wasn't up for a mind splitting argument. She needed time to register all the recent events that had happened in the last month.

"Honey, Marissa, are you alright?" Julie stood in the doorway, looking at the lifeless Marissa on the bed with her back faced to her. All she could see was her sides moving up and down as her daughter exhaled. "I'm," she sighed, she'd at least try and get Marissa to talk to her, "I'm going out to, uh, you know. To sort out the preparations for .." her voice drifted off. Was she really choking back tears? Or was it all an act? "for Cal." She spoke softly, almost like a whisper.

Marissa nodded slightly, yet it wouldn't have been as noticeable as it would've if she was standing up. "Yeah. Okay." Her voice was full of tears. You could tell she'd had the waterworks in effect. Her voice was shaky, and pitchy, just like Julie's had been when she mentioned 'Caleb'.

"Call me on my cell if you need anything." Julie decided to settle on that. She smiled a little, a straight line if you paused her face motions, and started to close the door. She stopped, and pushed it open so her head was hanging inside the room without a body, "And Marissa ..." it took her a while and enough strength to say this, "I love you." It may have seemed unlike Julie, but after her recent loss, she didn't want to lose someone she held so dearly to her heart, even if she was a stuck-up snob. She closed the door with a click and walked away, out the door and into the car to sort out all that needed to be for Caleb's funeral.

She left Marissa, shedding tears once again on her pillow.

* * *

Kirsten Cohen sulked in the kitchen. All she could remember of her father was their last minutes together. Fighting. Kirsten wished she could rewind to that point, and tell him that she loved him no matter what. But she allowed her temper and pride get the best of her. She regretted it all. The drinking, the hidden romantic tension between her and her ex-co worker Carter. It was affecting Seth and Sandy all too well. Only if everything in the past hadn't happened. Kirsten could go on in her mind and mention all the 'what ifs' that she could come up with to prevent what had happened. She gripped the tequila bottle in her hand, and moved it up to her thin lips to pour some down her throat to get her away from her grief.

All she could do was cry.

Sandy, her husband, approached the kitchen without caution. Seth had been in his room, locked away in a dungeon like Princess Fiona in _Shrek_. Sandy was worried about his wife, due to her drinking problem prior to the recent damaging event.

"Kirsten, do you think you should be drinking?" He said soothingly and sympathetically, with calm and caution.

"Sandy, I am _allowed_ to drink after what had just happened to my father! It's a time to drink, for me anyway! You were _never_ close to him, and you are telling _me_ not to drink? Do you not remember what my last words to him were? Do you? I have reasons behind my drinking, and _I am allowed to drink_ due to what has just happened!" Kirsten snapped, almost in one breath of anger. Everyone seemed to worry about her since the small knowledge of her drinking habit. She had had enough. She was a grown woman, a mother and wife. It was her time to do what she wanted, and after her father's sudden departure of the world, _she could_.

Sandy sighed. He knew this was coming. "Kirsten, you know that you shouldn't really be drinking so much. A bottle of," he looked at the bottle for a quick second, trying to find the brand name, "tequila! I know this is a tough time for you, but _we_, Seth, Ryan and I can help you through it."

"Sandy! Seth is in much pain as I am! At least he has positive memories of his grandfather, as I only have one negative! It hurts, Sandy! Don't start with me about not drinking!" Kirsten's face was soaked wet with tear stains. "_This is a time to drink!_" Kirsten sighed in frustration. "After someone you _love_ dies, you have to do something! _Something!_ And this is what I am doing."

"Kirsten -"

"Sandy! Don't!" Kirsten had had enough. She rose up off of her stool and snatched the tequila bottle from the table, as she had held it while it was still on it. Kirsten left. She wasn't in the mood for arguments, who would be after a great loss? _Sandy just doesn't understand. He hated Caleb. What would he know?_ All Kirsten could think of was negative thoughts, which did not help her at all.

* * *

Seth lay on his bed, his shoulders resting on his pillows which stood upright, leaning on the header of his bed. He held Captain Oats, his toy miniature horse, in his hands and looked at him. In his mind he was questioning the horse. No one could make him feel any better. Not his father, Ryan or even Summer. He'd lost his grandfather, the only one he'd been very close to. And to what? A heart attack in the pool? Seth shared a close relationship with the wealthy, old man, and he missed him dearly. _You don't know what you've got until its' gone._ Seth's mind sung along with the radio song by the Counting Crows. It was the only one that seemed to fit his recent time experience and feelings. He'd listen to more depressing songs, but he was too lazy to move.

"So, Captain Oats, suffered from any losses lately?" He spoke to the horse's dead and motionless face. He waited for a minute then spoke once again, "I thought so. You know, buddy, maybe it isn't so bad. Normally after deaths something better comes along the way." He allowed that to sink in to his partner. "Yeah, I thought to too. Very unlikely, isn't it?" He made Captain Oats nod his stiff head, causing his whole body to move up and down. Seth let out a loud sigh, he was bored and he was sad at the same time. All he could manage to do was sit around and talk to a toy horse.

"Seth, are you talking to Captain Oats again?" Ryan peeked his whole body away from the wall from Seth's bedroom door. "Because I swear I didn't hear any replies." Ryan smiled a little, trying to open up the mood to happiness. He tried and he failed. He knew his attempts of being happy, or trying to make others happy, were pathetic. He wasn't much of an entertainer.

"Ahh, Ryan. Oh yes, Captain Oats and I are just talking. Would you like to join in too?" Seth turned his face to Ryan.

"Uhh ..." Ryan didn't know if he was going crazy, or if he was turning into a bad boy Seth Cohen version, "I guess." He made himself sound more reassuring, "I mean, er, sure." Ryan walked in more, and straightened himself up. He stood at the edge of Seth's bed, unknown of what to do.

Seth lay in silence. All he did was stare past Captain Oats to his desk on the other side of his room. He was in his own world, a world of perfection. Ryan was with Marissa, Summer with him, his mother had no worries, and his grandfather was alive. A happy world of Orange County that would never be real. _Never_. But only in Seth's creative mind, did it rest in peace. In the hard times, Seth always referred back to his imaginary world, and where all of the people who had a great impact on his life were there. Either alive or dead. It didn't matter. They were all alive to him. And his sudden emptiness was only because of his grandfather. He did, in fact, feel a part of him change, yet he could not pin point the emotion or event.

"So ... how's Captain Oats?" Ryan decided to break the silence, and refer to the plastic horse instead of Seth, himself, as he knew the answer even if he hadn't spoken.

"Oh, Captain Oats is fine. He just lost his grandfather, that's all." Seth replied with a normal tone in his voice. He spoke to the horse and Ryan, looking at them both for an approximation of thirty seconds each before flicking to the other.

"Him too? You two are linked in all aspects of life. How did his grandfather die?" Ryan decided to play along, it was the only way to see how Seth was, by him referring to Captain Oats as himself.

"Same way. A heart attack, and he fell into the big lake."

"A horse too?"

"Yep. And there was nothing anyone could do."

"It was his time ..." Ryan concluded. Then silence filled the room. Ryan took a seat on Seth's desk chair by pulling it over from underneath the table and to the bedside, where he once stood. He and Seth sat or lay in silence. The only way they could.

* * *

There was no one in the kitchen, but only silence. The phone rang. No one picked up, but the answering machine. The voice message came on, and the message left was by a stressed Julie Cooper. "Er, Kirsten. Sandy. Cal's details for his," she choked on the word, "funeral, are ready. Give me a call when you can." The beep of the phone arose, as she hung up. Sad that there was no one to listen to the message, or even delete it. It only contained more pain neither Kirsten or Julie would ever want to hear, but it was Julie doing the talking, and Kirsten was the one who was listening. 


	2. Arrested Tears

Thank you to those who have reviewed. I hope this chapter is interesting, as I think I'll need some suggestions lol! I'll do the best that I can. :)

As the message from Julie rested in the data of the answering machine's messages, more piled on soon enough. The Cohens were scared to pick up the phone, nor were any around to form that type of action. They were either sulking, drinking or sitting around staring into space. None of them knew what to do, nor how to do it. Kirsten just found herself in the cupboard of the alcohol more and more, and Seth always found himself in the darkness of his room. Sandy piled himself with work in the office, and Ryan was being Ryan, sitting in the pool house, doing absolutely nothing. The family of four had become motionless.

Ryan Atwood, to be completely honest with himself, was bored out of his mind. He didn't know how to respond to family deaths, as he was the first one to actually _cause_ a heart attack, as he believed. He was there to witness Caleb Nichol's first heart attack, when his step daughter, Lindsay, was over at the Cohen's and Ryan was getting defensive. But he never pictured anything like this for the old man. They had their obvious differences, but Ryan never expected the man to suddenly end his life, not purposely, but without a good note. To be honest, Caleb never even gave Ryan a second glance after he learnt that last year Ryan burnt down one of his homes, and that he was a kid off the street that Kirsten and Seth hardly knew.

But Ryan wasn't the kind to go cry a river in a corner, no. He was the type to act all strong and buff, and to be one of those guys who acted 'cool' about sudden deaths, but deep inside he felt sad and a piece of him, a _tiny_ piece was missing. Caleb was a part of Seth's life, and he knew that he'd have to at least _try_ to make an effort to get on the old Nichol's good side, which he had failed miserably and with no positive effort at all.

Ryan picked up the phone, he couldn't stand the silence any longer. He dialed a familiar number, and waited for her voice to lighten up the darkness of the day, but all he got was her voicemail. "Hey, Marissa, it's Ryan. Uh ... just give me a call." He clicked the phone dead and hung it back onto its cozy stand. He lay back onto his bed, with his head resting peacefully on his pillow in a loud, frustrated sigh. What was he going to do with a family in depression and loss of someone so close to them?

Summer Roberts stood in her bedroom looking around. She had to think of something to wear, and for her, it was something important that you could waste a whole hour or two to think about. It was nearly progressing onto an hour, and she still had clothes lying on her bed. She stared at them with such hatred, trying to choose and judge them all. "Hmmm..." Today was Caleb's funeral, and Seth had invited Summer, along with Marissa's invitation and Julie's invitation. To the three invites she had received, she seemed pretty popular around crowds, she gladly accepted. She would be there for Seth, and if not Seth, for Ryan and Kirsten and Sandy. They were a second family to her, as her step-mother and father were too busy and ignorant to notice their daughter and her ups-and-downs.

But clearly, Summer's mind remained on the choice of dark clothing that she'd wear to the funeral of one of the Orange County's _ex_ wealthy men. A man she clearly did not know at all.

Marissa finally pulled herself together for this one day. Even though her mother had put her through absolute hell, and Caleb had too, she had to be there to show support and to make an _'appearance'_ as Julie would say. Her mother had told her from the very young ages they attended town functions, that it was always necessary to make appearances to say that you support whatever they were protesting or celebrating, then sitting at home gaining weight from carbs and being the talk of the whole town. Julie normally went for the dish on the dirt; the gossip of Orange County and to not miss out on anything "juicy", and something so incredibly "juicy" was about her last time. Her porn scandal. Marissa didn't even believe her mother would sink _that_ low for cash. But we can all bet that she's feeling very wrong, and yet, giggly at the same time.

Despite her friendship and bond with Summer, Marissa had picked out a nice black dress with straps at the shoulders, and the length finished somewhere before her knees, but still remained a non-mini and a reasonable dress for a funeral. She'd wear her hair up in a messy ponytail with her fringe on the sides and on her face. She applied make-up to her face to make herself look 'presentable', and she wore high heeled black shoes that were the opened type, not the closed sneaker like. She grabbed her small handbag and packed her necessary accessories such as her bottle of alcohol (how could any girl go without it?), her make-up additions, tissues and her set of keys. The last accessory was placed, and two sparkling long earrings dangled, shining silver light off of the light that reflected on it.

Julie was just in time to see her daughter looking as beautiful yet as depressed as ever. "It is time to head off Marissa," her head peeped through the door. Her hair was out, she had her make-up on, and she wore a dress, the similar length of Marissa's yet it had full covered-shoulder sleeves, and a v-line as well. Two golden hoop earrings drew the attention to her ears, and her shoes were heeled as well. Caleb would've smiled at Julie, only if it wasn't his funeral. "Your father is waiting for us." She concluded and left Marissa hanging by a piece of thread.

_Dad?_ Marissa was left to think. She applied the last remains of her make-up, did a check in the mirror and fixed up her hair, and made sure she had everything. She hurried down the stairs to see her mother and her father talking and waiting for her. "Uh, hi Dad." She was cheerful to see Jimmy Cooper waiting for her with a smile on his face. A _big_ smile.

"Hey Kiddo. Great to see you all together and willing to come." Jimmy kept his big smile on. He was happy to see Marissa, for one, and someone could take that smile as a sign of gratitude against Caleb's sudden death. "I'm so sorry about Caleb's death, Julie." He turned to his ex-wife as he spoke. "No one ever suspected something like _this_ to happen. Not after _everything_." Jimmy desperately tried to keep a smile off of his face. He had heard about the scandal about Julie's porn star debut back in the past, and he was sad he had to miss the humiliation, but then again, deep down inside, he was hurt and sad for Julie, only a small percentage of him anyway.

"So … uh … let's get this show on the road." Marissa tried to smile, and she pushed it onto her face as she broke the silence and made her way out of the door and into her father's convertible.

The two followed their daughter as Jimmy drove to the funeral ceremony.

The ceremony was beautiful, and the resting place for Caleb was just stunning, as he would rest at Crest Hills Resting, a elegant sanctuary for the dead. It definately shone the true essence of the rich and famous, well the wealthy people of Orange County. Everyone stood around the casket of Caleb Nichol, as the lid remained closed. All close family and friends, most of the population of Newport, gazed at the coffin which Caleb would rest in for years and years. The minister holding the small speeches called for Julie Cooper to come to the stand, as they sat in a church-like building so beautiful and elegant, it was a mixture of nature and man-made features. The hall was decorated with flowers and ribbons, and the coffin had many delicate flowers planted on it. They'd be removed before the burial.

Julie approached the stand with the microphone, and cleared her throat before she began her depressing speech. "Caleb was a beautiful man who created and developed Newport to what it is today." Sandy and Marissa could feel the urge to roll their eyes at that overly done statement, but they held it within them to be respectful for the man who had suffered a heart attack, "When I married Caleb, I knew there would be frowns and complications on our marriage. But it worked out. He made me happy in all ways, and he accepted Marissa into his world." The tears choked her throat, and were fighting to come pouring down her face. "He was taken from our world oh so suddenly. Caleb's experiences were not all positive, but that is a part of life, isn't it?" Julie was looking to the crowd as she spoke. Half of the things she had said she made it look prettier than it actually was, and the truth was hidden beyond the make up and kind words that echoed in the air. "It wasn't fair that Caleb suffered this. I remember the last moments as if it was yesterday," Marissa found herself thinking, '_It was yesterday_', "And I know that he'd be clearly missed." Julie paused for a couple of minutes, as her tears and heartache became out of control, "Caleb was a good man, a hard working father and grandfather and husband. He deserved more, and I hope that I brought him some peace." Julie looked at the casket, "May he be at peace." And blew a kiss in its' direction. She stood down and took her seat.

Marissa was soon called up, and all she had to say was simple and small, yet it did not cover up the real truth of what she had experienced with Caleb, but she tried her best to sound sympathetic and … "nice". "Caleb, a step-father to me, was like the step-monster I never wanted. He gave me a place when my parents' marriage was gone, and he gave my mother love. We had our sure ups-and-downs, and I did give him the step-daughter from hell attitude. I wasn't ready for Caleb's sudden movement into my life, and I'm sure I'm not ready for his sudden movement out of it."

The one speech that would matter the most to Caleb would be Seth's. Seth soon took the one shining spot and spoke his words as everyone was urged to listen. "Caleb. He was the closest _older_ relative to me that anyone else. I adored him. I cherished every moment I had with him. He wasn't the kind of grandfather to take me out to baseball and throw me a ball, nor was I the kind of grandson to want to go throw a ball and play sports. I was just happy to have someone there other than my mother and father. He is an inspiration to me and my future, and I am deeply upset that he won't be sharing my future with me in visible form, but in spiritual he'll be guiding me on the right path. I see this as a opening to myself, to appreciate the times he spent with me, the times he didn't disappoint me, and the times he did. It is an education to me, something to learn by. And I hope, when I have my own family, that I'd be the father and grandfather that he was." Seth gulped down tears, and they held like shining stars in his eyes, "And I know that my mother would love to come up here and talk about her father, but I decided that I'd steal her speech and her glory away, as she's asked me to." Kirsten smiled at Seth's small joke as she sat in her place, waiting for her words to be spoken by her son. "You know, my mother is the best thing ever to happen to Caleb, I'm sure of it. She's been supportive to him through everything, the ups-and-downs, and I think he shouldn't regret anything with the upbringing of her, since if she did he'd be regretting me in a small percentage. My mother has nothing to regret, nor does he. Whether a fight, a tantrum or love that has separated them for a period of time, they are the two inspirations, beside my dad, who I love and cherish. I hope that I share that same bond with my parents, and with him. Caleb would love my mother regardless of anything that had happened between them. _Regardless._ It's in a father's instinct." Seth looked down, then to everyone once again to conclude his delicate combined speech, "He's now resting in peace for all to see. May he watch down on all of us and guide us to our right paths."

After the speeches had finished, the casket was taken to the burial grounds, as everyone followed. The huddle of people with weeping faces watched as the casket was slowly making its way from the top of the earth to underneath it, and as it listened to the last words and sounds of civilisation, the whole world had seemed to have stopped for this one burial.

The casket was being covered, after everyone paid their respects. Julie stood in a small bunch of people, casually talking and giving sympathy, she was tapped on the shoulder. A man in a dark suit, looking like he was a guest at the funeral appeared to be behind her. "Julie Cooper?"

Julie looked around, and held her champagne glass firmly, "Yes?"

The man seemed to have hesitated ever so slightly, as to say _'sorry'_. "You are under arrest for the suspicion of murder."

Okay … so I'd love some ideas about the third paragraph and what should happen next. Anything will do! I hope you did like this chapter


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